There will be a quarterback change in Detroit after the Lions agreed to trade Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams. But will Stafford’s successor be Jared Goff, who will come the other way in the trade once it’s finalized on March 17th, or will the Lions use the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft on a quarterback?
NFL Network analyst and CBS color commentator Charles Davis thinks the Lions will roll with Goff and look to build around the 2-time Pro Bowler.
“My guess is that they’re not in the market this year,” Davis said via the Detroit Free Press. “This is an opportunity for Jared Goff to show what he has and for the Lions to continue to build up their team with the draft capital that Brad Holmes was able to get in this deal with the Rams.”
Goff guided the Rams to a playoff berth in two of the last three seasons and played quite well in the team’s run to the Super Bowl following the 2018 season. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft has a 42-27 career record and a higher career completion percentage and yards per attempt average than Stafford posted in his 12 seasons in Detroit.
“I don’t think they would shy away from it if there was someone they were absolutely in love with,” Davis continued. “This is a great opportunity. But I would sense that they would try and do more with the rest of the team now when you trade for a guy like Goff who’s actually proven in the league, even if people think that maybe he’s not. The guy’s been to the Super Bowl. So I think they take that opportunity there.”
Davis does see one chance for the Lions to look at a quarterback this year, and it’s the special condition surrounding North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. Just a one-year starter with barely 300 college pass attempts at the FCS level, Lance still impressed enough with his potential to be in consideration inside the top 10.
“Mobile, strong quarterback, can make plays with his legs and his arm as well. Not trying to box him in and make him play from the pocket like we did years ago, Davis said. “The only thing about Trey Lance, remember, he’d be a redshirt sophomore, so you don’t have a lot of starts and that’s one of the things that some teams worry about a little bit in terms of experience.”
[lawrence-related id=58823]